Interlocking relay



Dec. 1924; 1,521,273

s. c. BRYANT INTERLOCKING RE LAY Filed Aug. 27, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mv NT 6011/ M3;

%AT:FORNEY Dec. 3%, 1924.

S. C. BRYANT I NTERLQGKING RELAY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 2 1920 56.6. 31 20 FIG-7 15 21 20 D 16 1a D 16 1a /%\T ORNEY Patented Dec. 30, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STANLEY CHARLES BRYANT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BRYANT ZINC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A

CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

INTERLOCKING RELAY.

Application filed August 27, 1920. Serial No. 406,393.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STANLEY G. BRYANT, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Interlocking Relays, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to interlocking relays for highway crossing signals and other railway signaling systems.

The principal objects of the invention are to improve and simplify the construction of relays of this type, more especially with the view of obtaining greater accessibility of the parts, reliable performance under the adverse operating conditions found in practice, and a cheap and simple organization of parts readily applied and used in conjunction with relays of commercial construction and operating characteristics.

Detail features and advantages of my improved interlocking relay will appear hereinafter as the description progresses.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be made to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view in perspective showing the principal operating parts of an interlocking relay embodying the invention, these parts being shown more with a view of making it easy to understand the general features of the construction and mode of operation, than with the object of showing the exact shape and arrangement of parts preferably employed in practice;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the interlocking mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a similar front view; and

Figs. 4 to 7 are detail views illustrating the operation of the interlocking mechanism.

The invention in general resides in an interlocking mechanism designed for oper ation in connection with two neutral relays arranged end to end on a common base. The construction of such neutral relays, being well known, has been shown conventionally. Referring to Fig. 1, these two relays A and B comprise the usual pair of cores 1 having enlarged pole pieces 2 and provided with the usual windings or coils 3 (shown conventionally) a back strap 4; and an armature 5. These cores are in practice supported upon the usual top plate of the casing (not shown) enclosing the armature 5, its contact fingers and associated parts. Each armature is fastened to straps 6 which are pivotally supported on trunnion pins 7 fixed in depending lugs 8 secured to the top plate. Fastened to the armature 5 by insulating studs 9 are a number of contact fingers 10 (some of which are broken away to simplify the drawing), each having a pig-tail 11 to a binding post (not shown) and being adapted to cooperate with front and back contacts 12 and 18 shown conventionally as arrows.

My improved interlocking mechanism is made up of counterpart devices associated with the armatures 5 of the two relays A and B; and these parts are conveniently given the same designating numbers with the exponent a added. This interlocking mechanism comprises in general locking arms L and L similar in construction and fastened one to each armature 5, and two hook-shaped latches or detents D and D The locking arms L and L stamped out of sheet metal, or formed in any other suitable way, have the peculiar shape shown, and are fastened at one end by screws or similar fastening means to the under face of its corresponding armature 5 near the middle thereof. A counterweight 1a is provided for each locking arm to balance its weight about the axis of movement of its armature, so that the addition of said arm does not alter the operating characteristics of the relay. Each locking arm L or L extends from the point of attachment to its corresponding armature sidewise substantially parallel with the front edge of said armature and above the contact fingers 10, and then projects forwardly, where it divides into upper and lower bifurcations 15 and 16, each bifurcation terminating in a horizontal portion. These horizontal portions are located one higher than the other. and in different vertical planes. The two locking arms L and L are slightly different in shape so that their upper bifurcations 15 overlap one above the other.

The latches D and D are each shaped, as

best shown in Fig. 2, to provide a holding projection or hook 17 having an upstanding tip 18, an operating shoulder 19, and a forwardly extending arm to which are secured counterweights 20. These latches are pivotally supported on a pin 21 in the lower end of a hanger 22 which is fastened to the top plate by a screw 23 and cap washer 24: (see igs. 2 and 3). The washer 24 has a cup or depression around the screw 23 for putting in wax or the like to seal the device. The pivotal axis of the latches D and D is disposed vertically above the horizontal portion of the lower bifurcation 16 of the corresponding locking arm L of L and these latches are biased by the counterweights 20 to assume the postion shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Operation-Normally, when both of the relays A and B are energized, the parts are in the positions shown in Figs. 1 to To facilitate explanation of the operation, one of the latches D, together with the upper bifurcation 15' of arm L and lower bifurcation of arm L (the other bifurcations of said arms being omitted to simplify the illustration), has been shown in Figs. 4 to 7 in the different positions they assume in the operation of the relay. lVhen relay B is de-energized and its armature 5 drops, the upper bifurcation 15 of its locking arm L engages the shoulder 19 of the latch D and rocks this latch to bring its holding projection 17 under the lower bifurcation 16 of the locking arm L (see Fig. 5), so that when the relay A is subsequently (lo-energized, its armature can not fully drop, because its locking arm is held up by the latch D, as shown in Fig. 6. When relay B is again energized, its locking arm L" frees the latch D, but said latch cannot return to normal because of the tip 18 (see Fig. 7). hen relay A, however, is energized again, the latch D is released and swung back to its normal position by its counterweight 20, all parts being now restored to their normal positions. The same sequence of operation occurs when relay A is de-energized first, the latch D being the one which is actuated in this case. Thus, the dropping of either armature locks up the other armature and prevents it from dropping more than the short distance required for clearance between the latches D and the locking arms L, and further this locking coi'itinues until said other armature again raises. The application of such an interlocking relay to the control of highway crossing signals and other devices is well known and need not be described.

It will be evident that my improved interlocking mechanism is simple and positive in. its action, comprises few parts all of which can be cheaply manufactured and assembled, and further is so arranged and con structed that it can be readily applied to commercial relay construction without material alteration or change in operating charact-eristics. The interlocking parts are near the front of the relay whele they can be easily observed, and adjusted or repaired when necessary.

Obviously the construction shown and described is susceptible of adaptation and modification in practice without departing from the invention, and I desire to have it understood that my invention is not limited to the exact construction herein illustrated and described.

What I claim is 1. An interlocking relay comprising two electromagnets having armatures hinged at the rear edge and arranged end to end and with their pivotal axes substantially in line, a plurality of insulated contact fingers attached to each armature, a bent locking arm fastened to each armature and projecting forwardly with respect to said armatures, and two counterweighted hook-shaped latches pivotally supported on an axis substantially parallel with the pivotal axes of said armatures and arranged to be actuated separately by the dropping of one arm to lock up the other arm.

2. An interlocking relay comprising two neutral relays, a bifurcated locking arm secured to the armature of each relay, the bifurcations of each arm having upper and lower end portions moving in different vertical planes, and two counterweighted hookshaped latches cooperating with said arms, each latch being actuated by the upper bifurcation of one arm to lock up the lower bifurcation of the other arm.

3. Interlocking mechanism for relays comprising, in combination with two vertically movable arms, two latches pivotally supported and movable vertically in planes at right angles to the plane of movement of said arms, each of said latches having an operating shoulder and a hook portion with an upstanding tip, said shoulder and hook portion of each latch being located on opposite sides of its pivotal axis.

4. An interlocking relay comprising, two neutral relays arranged end to end with their armatures pivotally supported by a rear side, the pivotal axes of said armatures being substantially in line, two counterweighted latches pivotally supported in front of the armatures and substantially midway between their adjacent ends, the axis on which said latches are pivoted being substantially parallel with the pivotal axes of the armatures, each latch having an operating shoulder and a hook portion with an upstanding tip, said shoulder and hook portion of each latch. being located on opposite sides of its pivotal axis, and a bifurcated locking arm secured to the armature of each relay, the bifurcations of each arm having upper and lower end portions, the upper end portions of one arm engaging the 5 operating shoulder of one latch upon dropping of the corresponding armature and rocklng sald latch to bring 1ts hook portion into position to hold up the lower portion of the other arm, whereby dropping of either armature prevents the full dropping of the other.

In testimony whereof I affixed my signature.

STANLEY CHARLES BRYANT. 

